Field trials were conducted in the Yuma and Gila Valleys to assess the commercial field performance of Confirm and Success insecticides against beet armyworm and cabbage looper larvae. Ten lettuce and five broccoli fields were treated with combinations of Confirm, Success, and standard insecticides on various stages of plant growth. Success provided quick knockdown of larvae, but ultimately Confirm provided equitable control. Cabbage looper control with Confirm appeared to be influence by application volume and plant size. Addition of pyrethroid to Confirm did not provide additional efficacy. Success provided good suppression of leafminer adults and thrips. Both products provided control equal to conventional standards and will become valuable components of future lettuce pest management programs in Arizona.

Bremia lactucae and Erysiphe cichoracearum, respectively, cause downy and powdery mildew of lettuce. Cool moist environmental conditions favor the development of downy mildew, whereas warm and dry weather is conducive for powdery mildew. Several potential new fungicides were evaluated for control of these diseases of lettuce in 1998. The final severity of downy mildew in this trial was low. In addition to the standard compounds maneb, Aliette and Trilogy, several fungicides currently in development significantly reduced the severity of downy mildew compared to nontreated plants. These chemistries included Acrobat, RH -7281, an Unknown, Actigard, EF1295, Curzate, Quadris, BAS 500, QST 153, BAS 505 and BAS 490. Untreated lettuce plants were heavily infected with powdery mildew. In addition to the standard materials Microthiol Special and Trilogy, powdery mildew was significantly reduced on plants treated with BAS 490, BAS 505, EF1295, BAS 500 and Quadris. The possible availability of one or more of these chemistries under development for lettuce could help in efforts to develop and maintain a fungicide resistance management program for plant medicines of importance for this crop.

Sclerotinia leaf drop of lettuce is caused by two different species of this fungal pathogen, Sclerotinia minor and S. sclerotiorum. Cool and moist environmental conditions favor this disease. Some new fungicides in development were evaluated for control of leaf drop on lettuce during the winter vegetable growing seasons of 1996-97 and 1997-98. Sclerotia of each pathogen were applied to plots after thinning and just before the first of two applications of test compounds. The final severity of leaf drop in these trials was high. Significant reduction in disease or increase in marketable heads compared to nontreated plants was usually achieved by application of the standard compounds Ronilan and Rovral as well as the new fungicides BAS 500 and an "unidentified" material. The future registration and subsequent availability of one or both of these new chemistries for lettuce could provide equivalent disease control to that of the current standard materials with 0.2 to 0.25 lb active ingredient (a.i.) per acre instead of the current 1.0 lb a.i. per acre required with the standard compounds.

Mustang 1.5EW, Ammo 2.5EC, Pounce 3,2EC, Scout X-TRA, and three formulations of Karate were compared for efficacy to cabbage loopers infesting head lettuce in Yuma, AZ Karate and Pounce provided the most consistent cabbage looper control followed by Mustang and Scout X-TRA. Ammo appeared slightly inferior to the other pyrethroids tested. There did not appear to be any obvious differences in the efficacy of the three Karate formulations.

Confirm, Success and Proclaim were evaluated for lepidopterous insect control in lettuce with and without the addition of Mustang 1.5EW. Success and Proclaim used alone were highly efficacious toward cabbage looper and Heliothinae and did not appear to benefit greatly from the addition of Mustang. However, Confirm's activity towards Heliothinae was significantly improved by the addition of Mustang. Additionally, on large framed plants where coverage is difficult, Confirm benefitted from the addition of a pyrethroid for control of loopers.

The objectives of this research were i) to observe the movement of the wetting front in subsurface drip irrigated lettuce and broccoli, 2) to analyze variability in soil water tension (SWT) within the profile, and 3) to determine root distributions of subsurface drip irrigated lettuce and broccoli. Lettuce and broccoli plots at the Maricopa Agricultural Center during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 winter growing seasons were intensively instrumented with automated tensiometers. During both seasons, there was good agreement between mean daily SWT, and SWT measured before irrigation. During 1992-93, the maximum variation in mean SWT among tensiometers was 2.5 kPa. Among tensiometers within the zone of greatest root density, the maximum variation was only 1.5 kPa. Therefore, the range of SWT within the lettuce root zone was small, and tensiometer placement anywhere within the root zone would have been adequate. During 1993-94, the maximum variation in mean SWT among tensiometers was 7 kPa. The maximum variation among tensiometers within the zone of greatest root density was 5.3 kPa. The larger variation in mean SWT among tensiometers, compared to lettuce, is due to the greater water use of broccoli. Tensiometer placement will be more critical for higher water use crops. During both seasons roots proliferated around the drip tubing. These results substantiate the assumption that tensiometer placement anywhere within the zone of greatest root density will be adequate for irrigation scheduling of subsurface drip irrigated crops.

The objective of this research was to estimate a season -long water balance under one subsurface trickle- irrigated plot each of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Waldmann's Green) and broccoli (Brassica olearacea L. var. Claudia). One lettuce plot during 1992-93 and one broccoli plot during 1993-94 were intensively instrumented with automated tensiometers. Tensiometer readings and estimates of evapotranspiration were used to estimate seasonal water contents in the crop root zone, and water losses due to leaching. For the monitored portion of the 1992-3 growing season, 19.1 an of irrigation water was applied, 12.5 cm of rainfall fell, and ET, was 11.5 cm. Estimated deep percolation was 60% of total water applied (irrigation plus rainfall). Leaching was periodic, and was mostly associated with rainfall events. During the monitored portion of the 19934 season, 21.2 cm of irrigation water were applied, 8.0 an of rainfall fell, and ET, was 21.9 cm. Estimated deep percolation was 28% of total water applied. Almost all of this leaching was associated with one major rainfall event. Water stored in the root zone (top 50 cm) was relatively constant at 12-14 cm water/50 cm soil except after rainfall.

Admire (imidacloprid), applied as a soil treatment, protected lettuce plants from developing infestations of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), for 60-100 d after planting based on two small plot and two commercial field trials. Admire applied 7.6 cm sub-seed furrow provided longer and more consistent protection from green peach aphid than treatments applied to the soil surface, as a side-dress, or 15.2 cm sub-seed furrow. Surface band applications of Admire provided inconsistent control probably because of inadequate hydrological incorporation into the soil. In small plot trials, effective control of aphids by Admire applied 7.6 cm sub seed furrow resulted in greater than 90.0% marketable heads while the untreated plots contained 20.0% marketable heads. When used in a commercial setting, Admire applied 7.6 cm sub-seed furrow on leaf lettuce prevented aphid colonization (<3 aphids per plant) for approximately 100 d after planting, while the untreated and commercial standard treated areas contained 30.7 and 26.8 aphids per plant respectively at 100 d after planting. In addition, marketability of lettuce was greater in Admire treated plots. As a sub-seed furrow treatment, Admire provides a more suitable approach to aphid control than is currently available with foliar insecticides.